Terminal servers, host systems and virtual desktops – Printing via TCP/IP

Terminal servers and virtual desktops – Printing via RDP, ICA or PCoIP

Client/Server printing – via TCP/IP

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The following example scenarios illustrate typical environments in which ThinPrint can be deployed. The depicted scenarios can also be combined – flexibility in mixed environments is one of the strengths of ThinPrint.

See also the scenarios in the sections Praxis: Running applications on remote desktops and Praxis: Running applications on workstations.

Terminal servers, host systems and virtual desktops – Printing via TCP/IP

The main purposes of centralized, dedicated print servers are to centralize print administration and to remove workload from other servers and / or host systems. ThinPrint Engine makes it possible to compress print data received by terminal serv­ers, hosts or virtual desktops, to encode it and, within bandwidth limits, send it to client computers or to network printers. If Windows hosts or virtual Windows desk­tops are being employed, it is also possible to use Driver Free Printing and V-Layer.

Each user can use all printers in the network which are accessible via TCP/IP – regardless of whether she / he is using a workstation, a thin client, or any other type of client. Further information can be found in ThinPrint Ports.

If necessary, addressing ThinPrint Clients in masked networks via TCP/IP is made possible with the Connection Service. It is also the ideal gateway component for the DMZ. Further information can be found in Connection Service.

Terminal servers and virtual desktops – Printing via RDP, ICA or PCoIP

Central, dedicated print servers generally print to a computer, network printer or ThinPrint Hub via TCP/IP. If, however, TCP/IP is not possible or not wanted as print pro­tocol, the Virtual Channel Gateway allows print data to be sent through the RDP, ICA or PCoIP virtual channel to the workstation or thin client.

The Virtual Channel Gateway receives print jobs from the central print server, con­verts addressing from TCP/IP to RDP, ICA or PCoIP, and forwards the print data on to the session user. Further information can be found in ThinPrint Ports.

Client/Server printing – via TCP/IP

Print servers can also be used for Windows workstations, in order to centralize all native printer drivers on a print server using V-Layer, as well as to centralize the printer administration.

Each user of a Windows workstation can use all printers in the network which are accessible via TCP/IP. This way only a single printer driver is necessary on the work­stations – the TP Output Gateway.

A ThinPrint Client (TCP/IP type) is required only if the target device needs to be able to decompress or decrypt print data or to render the print jobs using the native printer driver.